Galley lock



W. G. WILEY June 24, 1941.

' GALLEY LOCK Filed May 29, 1940 Patented June 24, 1941 5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locking or retaining devices forholding work such as type, spacer blocks and the like in printersgalleys, and particularly to a type of lock adapted to retain the workagainst longitudinal movement in the galley toward its open end, Myprimary object is to provide an improved form of galley lock that isreduced to the utmost simplicity and lowest cost, and at the same timecapable of greater facility and efficiency in use than any form of lockheretofore devised for this purpose. This application is a continuationin part of my copending application Serial Number 314,067, filed January16, 1940 for Galley lock.

In the past, many different forms of galley locks have been proposed,and some of these have met with varied commercial successes. Some havebeen adapted to be inserted between the work and a side flange of thegalley, and functioning to hold the work by pressure laterally againstit. As indicated above, the present lock is designed to preventlongitudinal displacement of the work within the galley by exerting endpressure against the work facing the open end of the galley. Insofar asI am aware, no satisfactory lock of this latter type has heretofore beendeveloped, due to the fact that the proposed forms either have not beencapable of the facility of use demanded by the printing trade, orbecause of other limitations such as excessive cost or inadaptability toall forms and sizes of galleys.

The present invention has been made with the object of reducing the lockto the simplest and most inexpensive form, and one which has suchfacility and efficiency in use as to satisfy the practical requirementsof the trade. The invention may be described generally as providing alocking element in the form of a flexible member adapted to be insertedin flexed condition between the side flanges of the galley, and byvirtue of its flexed condition, to frictionally engage theflanges and tobear intermediate its ends against the Work to retain the work withinthe galley. Inits preferred form the locking element consists of anelongated resilient metal strip of greater length than the distancebetween the galley side flanges, and applied by flexing one end portionof the strip away from the work so that the ends of the stripfrictionaliy engage the flange and the section of the strip beyond itsflexed portion bears flatly against the work,

One highly important feature of the invention is the determination ofthe degree of resiliency and flexibility that the locking strip shouldhave for most satisfactory use and results. I have found fromconsiderable observations and tests that for greatest facility in useand to have the necessary flexure characteristics for most effectivelyengaging and retaining the work, the locking element should be made of amaterial, preferably though not necessarily steel, of substantialthickness and having at that thickness less than complete resiliency.That is to say,.the resiliency of the metal should be such that, forexample, when removed from the galley, the looking element willstraighten to aconsider'able degree but will not return to its original(referred to as normal) perfectly straight form. The reasons for givingthe locking element these characteristics of resiliency and flexibilitycan later be described to better advantage.

' The various features and objects of the invention referred to in theforegoing will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription of the invention as embodied in a typical and illustrativeform. Reference is had throughout the description to the accompanyingdrawing'in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing a conventional form of galley withthe work held therein by the locking strip; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an unflexed locking strip.

In Fig. 1 I show a typical form of double-column galley, generallyindicated at iii, comprising a plane surface bottom H having upwardlyprojecting parallel side flanges l2 and an end flange l3. As will beunderstood, the galley may contain any suitable assembly of workincluding various arrangements of type, or combination type and spacerblocks. The Work is shown conventionally as consisting of two columns Mof type spaced at 55 from one side of the galley. The invention ofcourse is independent of any particular size galley, being applicable toeither single or double column galleys and in general to various sizegalleys ranging, for example, from 3 /2 to 12 inches in width. Thelength of the locking element to be used in any given instance will ofcourse be predetermined in accordance with the width of thesize galleyto which it is to be applied.

The locking element It consists of an elongated resilient and flexibleelement made preferably of strip steel of selected and predeterminedcomposition and'properties, the length of the strip being substantiallygreater than the distance between the galley side flanges I2, The heightof the locking strip, as viewed in the drawing,-may correspondsubstantially to the depth'of the galley,

and ordinarily the strip, while relatively thin, will have substantialthickness, say from 0.030 to 0.050 inch.

In applying the lock, the strip first may be placed in the dot-dashposition [6a. and then flexed to the solid line position by pressingagainst the strip at a point toward the end portion 16b to be flexed.When fully inserted, the strip by reason of its flexed condition exertsan endwise thrust against the galley flanges I2, whereby causing the endof the strip to frictionally engage the flange surfaces, and alsocausing the greater length of the strip, represented by the portion I60between the bend Kid and its opposite end Hie, to press flatly andtightly against the work l4. When thus inserted in the galley, thelocking element remains securely in place, exerting such pressureagainst the work as to cause the work to be confined between the lockingelement and the galley end flange l3, so securely as to prevent lateralshifting of the work toward the surface l5.

As previously mentioned, it is important that the locking strip havecertain characteristics of resiliency and flexibility to enable it to beused with facility and to flex in a manner to best conform with thework. To illustrate, it has been found that where an extremely resilientand less flexible strip is used, such as one made of highly tempered orthe ordinary spring steel (that has an elastic limit usually in excessof 150,000 lbs. per sq. in.), the strip when flexed into lockingposition against the work exerts such great end pressure against theflanges I2 as to render it diflicult to remove the lock. For the samereason it is relatively difficult, with that type of steel, to flex thestrip into locking position and to maintain the desired length of flatengagement at I60 between the strip and the work, due to the tendency ofthe steel to assume longer curvature at the flexed portion Kid. Afurther practical disadvantage is encountered in that the harder andmore tempered steels are difficult to cut to the proper strip lengthswith their ends smoothed, as they should be, to permit slidingengagement with the galley flanges.

Far superior results have been obtained by making the locking strip of ametal that has limited or less than full resiliency, and which isrelatively easily flexed. For example I may use tool or crucible steelin the as rolled condition, and therefore of a tough or fibrousstructure, having an elastic limit or yield point within the range of80,000 to 130,000 pounds per sq. in. I have used to advantage cruciblesteels within diflerent ranges of elastic limit, having a carbon contentwithin substantially the range of 0.90 to 1.10, and a Rockwell hardnessof substantially C23 to 28. Metal within the elastic limit rangecontemplated, has the advantage of rendering the locking element capableof easy insertion in and removal from the galley, and yet enabling theelement to bear against the galley and work with full effectiveness.Although it bends with relative ease, and retains some though not all ofits deformation when removed from the galley, the locking strip readilyassurnes its proper flexed shape when again placed in the galley.

I have previously referred to the fact that the metal strip by reason ofits limited or less than full resiliency, will retain a considerabledegree of its flexed deformation after removal from the galley, As ameasurement of such retained deformation, it has been found that whenremoved from the galley, the flexed end portion Hid will retain a degreeof deflection relative to the straight portion 160, within 5 to 15(measured on the basis of the angularity between a line connecting theend extremity of the strip and the point at which the effected endportion starts to curve, and the projected line of the straight portionI60). The retained deformation of a given locking strip willof coursevary somewhat with the length of time the strip has remained in flexedcondition within the galley, but in general the retained deformationwill lie within the angular limits stated. Being tough and preferablyuntempered, the steel will stand constant use without crystalizing andremain capable of applying and withstanding considerable pres sures.Since it is adapted to greater ease in bending, a longer surface of thestrip at lfic can be maintained in contact with the work and the lockingeffect of the strip correspondingly increased. By reason of its limitedresiliency, the locking strip does not tend to bite into the galleyflanges with such force as to be difficulty removable, and because ofthe superior workability of this type of steel, the strip stock can morereadily and economically be cut and the ends smoothed to give propersliding contact with the galley flanges.

Practical tests and use of these locking strips has established theirease in handling and facility of use, as well as their adaptability toextremely low manufacturing costs. By making the locking element in astraight strip form, advantages are obtained not only with respect toease and economy in manufacture, but also in the locking action andeffectiveness of the strip. With the strip normally in straight form, asdistinguished for example from a normally curved or bent form, a greaterend thrust is transmitted to the galley flanges when the strip isflexed, by reason of the longitudinal rigidity of the metal. Thus, inthis manner, maximum gripping force is obtained using a metal of givenresiliency, and at the same time provision is made for rendering thestrip easily removable, by using a metal of limited resiliency. While Ihave referred to the locking strip as normally being straight, it willbe understood of course that the locking elements once used will havesome retained curvature at the flexed end. When reused, such stripsordinarily will be inserted within the galley so as to be flexed intolocking position oppositely from the retained flexure of the previoususe. Thus the locking element becomes reversible in use, a featurepossessed by no other similar devices of which I am aware.

I claim:

1. A look adapted to hold work in a galley having inwardly facing sidesurfaces, said lock consisting of a normally straight elementsubstantially longer than the distance between said surfaces and made ofmetal of about 0.030 to 0.050 in. thickness having an elastic limitbetween 80,000 to 130,000 pounds per sq. in., said element being adaptedto be inserted in flexed condition between said galley surfaces and, byvirtue of its flexed condition, to frictionally engage the surfaces andbear intermediate its ends directly against the work, and said elementhaving substantially less than complete resiliency to facilitate itsremoval from between said surfaces, such that when removed the elementwill retain a considerable degree of its flexed deformation.

2. A lock adapted to hold work in a galley having inwardly facing sidesurfaces, said lock consisting of a normally straight flat strip elementsubstantially longer than the distance between said surfaces and made ofuntempered steel in the as rolled condition and having an elastic limitbetween 80,000 to 130,000 pounds per sq. in., said element being adaptedto be inserted in flexed condition between said galley surfaces and, byvirtue of its flexed condition, to frictionally engage the surfaces andbear intermediate its ends directly against the work, and said elementhaving substantially less than complete resiliency to facilitate itsremoval from between said surfaces, such that when removed the elementwill retain a considerable degree of its flexed deformation.

3. A lock adapted to hold work in a galley having inwardly facing sidesurfaces, said lock consisting of a normally straight metallic stripelement substantially longer than the distance between said surfaces andwithin about 0.030 to 0.050 in. thickness, said element being adapted tobe inserted between said galley surfaces with one end only of theelement in flexed condition to cause the element to frictionally engagethe surfaces and bear directly against the work, said element havingsubstantially less than complete resiliency to facilitate its removalfrom between said surfaces, such that when removed said flexed end ofthe element will retain between to 15 of its flexed deformation.

4. A lock adapted to hold work in a galley having inwardly facing sidesurfaces, said lock consisting of a normally straight elementsubstantially longer than the distance between said surfaces and made ofuntempered steel having an elastic limit between 80,000 to 130,000pounds per sq. in., said element being adapted to be inserted betweensaid galley surfaces with one end only of the element in flexedcondition to cause the element to frictionally engage the surfaces andbear directly against the work, said element having substantially lessthan complete resiliency to facilitate its removal from between saidsurfaces, such that when removed said flexed end of the element willretain between 5 to 15 of its flexed deformation.

5. A look adapted to hold work in a galley having inwardly facing sidesurfaces, said lock consisting of a normally straight elementsubstantially longer than the distance between said surfaces and made ofstrip metal of about 0.030 to 0.050 in. thickness having an elasticlimit between 80,000 to 130,000 lbs. per sq. in., said element beingadapted to be inserted between said galley surfaces with one end only ofthe element in flexed condition to cause the element to frictionallyengage the surfaces and bear directly against the work, said elementhaving substantially less than complete resiliency to facilitate itsremoval from between said surfaces, such that when removed said flexedend of the element will retain between 5 to 15 of its flexeddeformation.

WEBSTER G. WILEY.

